CAMBRIDGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY

CAMBRIDGE, IL

20230520 15 Vitrolite, East Moline, Illinois Credit: davidwilson1949

The Cambridge Historical Society (CHS) is a non-profit organization located in Cambridge, Illinois, dedicated to preserving and promoting the history of the city. Founded in 1975, CHS has worked to document, preserve, and share the history of Cambridge for over four decades.

CHS is currently led by a volunteer board of directors and is open to the public for research and educational activities. CHS hosts a number of activities and events throughout the year, including lectures, exhibits, and tours.

The organization is home to a number of collections, including books, photographs, and artifacts from the early days of Cambridge. CHS also offers an extensive library with a wealth of information on the history of the city.

CHS is a member of the Illinois State Historical Society and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. In addition, CHS works with local organizations and foundations to promote the history of Cambridge and to ensure that its legacy is preserved for future generations.

The Cambridge Historical Society is an important part of the Illinois community, providing a platform to learn about the history of the city and the people who have lived there. CHS is actively working to document the past and bring it to life for visitors and residents alike.

CAMBRIDGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY is a Historical Societies, Historic Preservation in CAMBRIDGE IL. US MID #8401700747

The museum is classed as HSC (Historical Societies, Historic Preservation). It comes under American Alliance of Museums (AAM) region: Midwest (Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin).

20220515 07 Ghost Sign, Geneseo, Illinois

Silvis, IL I handle a lot of the publicity/social/photos for the RRHMA's Silvis operation. Last weekend, we opened the shop up to the public as the final pieces of UP's big donation made their way to us from Cheyenne. I got plenty of nice event shots, but sometimes the group shot tells the biggest story- it takes this many people (and more folks who aren't pictured here!) to get a project like this across the finish line. This was the culmination of a truly awesome weekend, and the future is incredibly bright for this group as we begin the actual work of restoring these pieces of history.

Annawan-a Be In Front After making a brief stop in town, IAIS 6988 starts rolling out of Annawan, IL, with a plethora of photographers and chasers following suite. Getting in front of the pack of them is no small feat, but a lead foot and good timing can certainly help…

Picking Up The Pieces The 6988 had been plugging along quick, and then a gasket on its water pump failed, bringing the train to a stop. Some half hour and change later, they were starting to roll ahead through the small town of Mineral. Mineral is home to an old wooden elevator, which is where a large number of railfans have congregated. There wasn't any question though, I had to join the crowd as soon as I saw the elevator. I'm still not quite over the loss of the elevator at Lodge, so I'm really grasping for anything to make up for it. The Mineral grain elevator will have to do here. It's a nice elevator.

A fun fact, this is the one and only time I've taken a vertical photo and not completely hated it. Truly, a first time for everything.

The Calling Often times when chasing, picking a spot to stop and shoot is hard to do - it’s easy to screw up and pick a bad spot, or arrive there without enough time, or whiff the shot itself. Sometimes, though, a location presents itself and you just know it’s the spot to be. On the eastern side of Atkinson, such a place presented itself - a perfect opening in a field to capture nearly all of the train pulled by IAIS 6988 and without obstructions. It’s nice when things work out that way.

Joining the Frenzy I was late to the party on the QJ, but with info sent just the night prior, I had time enough to catch the Silvis to Bureau (and return) run - the last run before the Chinese steamer's rebuild. I'm glad I was able to make it out on short notice, it was a fun chase through my home state. I haven't seen steam in operation here since 2019, which was extra fun.

There is something interesting about the juxtaposition of it all - a Chinese built steam locomotive running a mixed passenger/freight train through Illinois farmland, adorned with American and Ukrainian flags. Someone smarter than I could probably spin that rather symbolically, but all I know is that it was just pretty cool. Except the weather, that was pretty hot.

Driving the caboose Rock Island Caboose 17882 at the Railway Park and Gazebo in Silvis, Illinois.

Banded Brothers This is a re-edit of a pic taken at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Note the band on the Pelican in the middle. This were taken nears where Route 88 ends when approaching Silvis, IL. Were it not for the ghost town traffic at the beginning of the pandemic, there would have been no way to pull to the side of the toll way for some bird photography. Fortunate timing, sort of...

Contact CAMBRIDGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY

telephone: 3099375729

CAMBRIDGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
209 EAST COURT ST
CAMBRIDGE
IL
61238

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CAMBRIDGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY Information

MID #	8401700747
Name	CAMBRIDGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Alternate Name
Classification	Historical Societies, Historic Preservation, , Midwest
Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN)	363730870
NTEECC	A82
Tax period of the latest return filed (YYYYMM)	201112
INCOME	0
REVENUE	0
LAT/LONG	41.29919, -90.19434
CODES	FIPS State Code: 17 FIPS County Code: 073 US Census Tract: 030202 US Census Block: 5008